By Rebecca Jefferis Williamson

April 20, 2020 (San Diego’s East County) Sewing a headband with buttons or buying a headband and sewing buttons on is the latest craft item to help those healthcare workers or essential workers  alleviate the irritation of wearing surgical masks with elastic behind their ears for long periods of time.

Essential workers and healthcare workers have been officially told to wear masks. If the masks are the standard surgical masks with elastic, that elastic can chafe and cause pain from wearing them for a whole 8-hour shift or longer.

(Photo courtesy of DINIGOFIN)

“My sister, her husband, her oldest son and his girlfriend all work in the same hospital, “said former county of San Diego resident Drea Lazos who now lives in Ohio. “So that’s one whole household I’m worried about. Here in Cincinnati, my younger sister works at the University of Cincinnati hospital in the lab, processing all of the covid-19 tests. Lots of her co-workers are home sick and one night she had to work a 24-hour shift. I make all the masks to help with their comfort.”